Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 SNPs as the common genetic loci and optimal early identification genetic markers for COVID-19

Abstract Background Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is implicated as a host cell receptor that causes infection in the pathogenesis of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and its genetic polymorphisms in the ACE2 gene may promote cardiovascular disease and systemic inflammatory injury in COVID-19. Hence, genetic background may potentially explain the broad inter-individual variation of disease susceptibility and/or severity. Methods The genetic susceptibility to COVID-19 by examining single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ACE2 was analyzed in 196 patients with COVID-19 and 210 normal controls using TaqMan genotyping assay. Results We demonstrated that ACE2 SNP rs4646142, rs6632677, and rs2074192 were associated with COVID-19 (all P < 0.05), and the differences of ACE2 SNPs rs4646142 and rs6632677 were correlated with COVID-19 related systemic inflammatory injury and cardiovascular risk. Specially, rs4646142 was associated with high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), prealbumin (PAB), apolipoprotein A (APOA), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and acid glycoprotein (AGP). Rs6632677 was also associated with elevated CRP and haptoglobin (HPT). Conclusions Our results suggest that early identification of these individuals can provide a possible strategy for preventing the spread of the COVID-19, and ACE2 SNPs rs4646142 and rs6632677 may be a common genetic loci and optimal early identification genetic marker for COVID-19 with cardiovascular risks.